Any attempts to repeal the Hunting Act would be “deeply unpopular” among the majority of the British public, a new poll has found.

The Ipsos MORI poll commissioned by animal welfare charity the League Against Cruel Sports found 84% of the public do not want a return to fox hunting.

Opposition to hare hunting and deer hunting was even stronger, at 91% and 88% respectively.

The poll also suggested banning fox hunting is growing increasingly popular among Conservative voters.

It is now at 73%, having risen from 64% in 2013, 66% in 2014, and 70% in 2015

League Against Cruel Sports chief executive, Eduardo Goncalves, said: “Today’s polling highlights just how out of touch any move to repeal the hunting ban would be with the views held by the majority of the British public – including Conservative voters.

“The overwhelming view of electorates is that they do not want their parliamentary representatives supporting repeal.”

Mr Goncalves also attacked Environment Secretary Andrea Leadsom, who has suggested she would take a fresh look at fox hunting.

He said: “The Hunting Act made hunting wild animals with dogs for sport illegal, protecting a number of animals including foxes, hare, and deer.

“Not only would a move to legalise the cruel sport be potentially detrimental to the animals the law protects, but as today’s polling makes clear – would make no sense politically.

“It is time for Andrea Leadsom to join the rest of the country and support the hunting ban.”

Friday 30th September 2016: Any attempt to repeal the Hunting Act by the Conservative party would be deeply unpopular amongst the majority of the British public, including the party’s own supporters, voters in Andrea Leadsom’s and Theresa May’s constituencies and marginal Conservative constituencies, new polls and data projections reveal.

A new Ipsos MORIpoll1 commissioned by animal welfare charity the League Against Cruel Sports revealed84% of the public do not want a return to fox hunting and 65% would view an election candidate more favourably if they supported keeping hunting with dogs illegal compared with only 9% who would view a candidate more favorably if they supported making hunting with dogs legal again.

Opposition to hare hunting and deer hunting was even stronger, at 91% and 88% respectively. Findings also revealed that almost five times as many Conservative supporters would view a candidate who supports the Act more favourably as would view one who wanted to make hunting with dogs legal again more favourably, and people in rural areas are more likely to view anti-hunt politicians favourably than those living in urban areas (71% to 64%).

In addition, new figures revealed by the charity show that opposition to legalising the ‘sport’ of hunting wild animals with dogs is at an all-time high. Key figures show:

Large majorities of the public oppose making fox hunting (84%), deer hunting (88%), and hare hunting (91%) legal again.

In rural areas support for the ban on fox hunting was also high, at 82%

Support among Conservative supporters for the ban on fox hunting has risen sharply. It is now at 73%, having risen from 64% in 2013, 66% in 2014, and 70% in 2015

League Against Cruel Sports CEO, Eduardo Gonçalves said: “Today’s polling highlights just how out of touch any move to repeal the hunting ban would be with the views held by the majority of the British public – including Conservative voters.

“The overwhelming view of electorates is that they do not want their parliamentary representatives supporting repeal. Andrea Leadsom must accept this. Theresa May has previously warned of the risk of the Conservative Party being seen as the ‘nasty’ party, but the fact that so many Conservative MPs and their party supporters today are opposed to hunting suggests that the party is much more in line with the British public on this. Any move by Andrea Leadsom to bring back hunting would very much be going against the current Conservative tide.”